Sash balance



Oct. 3, 11939. c. T. CARNES ET Al.

SJASH BALANCE Filed June l, 1958 I .fome/772x15- Patented Oct. 3, 1939 UNITED STAT TENT OFFiCE Calif Wright, Y and John E. Comer, v Los Angeles,

Application June 1, 1938, Serial N0. 211,192l

, j 3 Claims.

This invention, a sash balance, is .designed for the control of all types vof vertically-sliding sash and similar devices, such as doors which are vertically or inclinably slidable and which are re'- vt'i quired to be retained in various adjusted positions.

The usual type of sash balance, consisting of sash cord and weights, require considerable space back of the side members of the frame, or in the '10 wall, for free movement of the Weights. The 1nstall'ation must be made when the window frames are being installed and completed only when the sash is installed in the frame. They are adjustable only by actual changing of the weights to lighter or heavier types. The sash Acord for the lower sash 'is always in full view when the sash is closed or partly open, and the cord for the upper vsash is in full View whenever the upper sash is partly opened, presenting an unsightly 20 appearance. These cords become soiled and corr. sequently more unsightly and unsanitary with age, and are Very efficient collectors of-dustand dirt.

Other types, such asfriction shoes, operate with *25 restraint when the frame is new, and, after the shoe has worn a smooth track on the-ramethey fail to function properly. Y Y

It is to overcome all of the above undesirable features that this invention is developed, and its f3.0 particular advantages reside inthe fact that-`the entire balance mechanism is completely concealed with any adjusted position of the sash, leaving the visible portions ofthe slide Ways in the frame between the stops clear and free of cords or '35 vmiarring by friction shoes, permitting the surfaces of the frame to be kept in an unmarred, dustless and unobstructed condition; and also in the fact that the balance can be completely installed and adjusted at the time of manufacture ofthe sash, and can thus be delivered on the job complete, requiring only the attachment of the end of the cable, when the cable type is used, Lto the frame, which is provided with a suitable 45 catch already installed; and in the case of the rack and pinion type, the connection is automatically made when the stop is attached to the frame.

Therefore, in the installation of window frames 50 and sash, no space is required between the walls and no installation or fitting is required on the job.

'If for any reason adjustment should be desired after installation, the sash balance is easily re- 55 moved and replaced, and just as easily adjusted.

(ci. ifs-19s) In describing theinven'tion, reference will be made to the accompanying drawing, in which;

Fig. l is a fragmentary front View of Va sash,

lshown-partly in section to expose a sectional View of the invention installed therein, Vthe section corresponding vto a line I-I of'Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is` an endiview of the lower portion of Fig-1, showing the invention in Vend elevation.

Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 3--3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a modined form of the invention shown 10 iragmentarily.

Fig. 5 is another modified form of the invention.

The invention is installed as illustrated in Figs. l and 2, and consists of a spring barrel lil having an inturned iiange I I formedat one end, and a sheave housing I2 'formed integral with or atvtac-hed to, the other end of the spring barrel, `and this housing 'terminates in a plurality of ,ears I3 or other lmeans for securing thesheave housing to thestile plate I4.

The stile plate I4 is provided with suitable slots I5 to receive the vears I3, and the plate is depressed as indicated at I6 to :retract the ears when clinched to 'the plane of the plate. 25

A shaft bearing Il .is Aformed in the stile plate in axial relation to the circular series of slots 5 and supports one end of a shaft I8, the other end of which shaft is supported in an axial passage formed in the adjusting plug 'I9 which is ro- 30 tatably fitted in the spring barrel as shown, and which is provided with removable securing means,

such as a pin 2i) which passes chordally through the spring barrel and plug. vA screw driver slot 2`I is provided at the outer end of the plug for pur- -35 poses of adjustment of the tension of the spring.

A sheave 23 is mounted on the shaft'and located 'within Ythe'sheave housing I2, and may operate `fr'eelyon the shaft, but is shown as pinned thereto as indicated at 24. n v 40 A spiral spring 25 has one end secured to the `sheave as indicated at-ZB, and its other end is secured to the plug or adjuster I9 as indicated at 21.

A cable 28 has one end attached to the sheave 23 as indicated at 29 and its other end attached to the window frame 30 at a point preferably just below the top 3| of the sash when the sash is in its lowered position for the lower sash and upper sash, both, as indicated at 32, and this cable preferably consists of a thin cable, such as airplane strand, which with ordinary sash permits the use of a cable about 145 inch in diameter, depending on the weight of the sash, and whether lso one balance is used, or whether one is used for each end of the window or sash.

A passage 33 is formed in the sheave housing for free passage of the cable 28, and a passage 34 is formed in the stile plate I4 by slitting and bending back a portion 35 of the plate to coincidently form a smooth guide or roll edge 36 for the cable.

The plate is formed of resilient metal and the lower end is'slit upwardly as indicated at 31, and the intervening portion is bent outwardly as indicated at 38 and inwardly at its lower end to form urging or spacing means to urge or maintain the lower end of the sashragainst the other side of the Window frame to prevent cooking of the sash, in other words, to maintain vertical alignment of the sash.

A loop, or other attaching means is formed at the terminal end of the cable, as at 32, and when the balance is installed in the sash at the time of manufacture or at any other time, a keeper (not shown but well known) is removably placed in the loop which is thus prevented from passing through the slot 34, so as to maintain the adjustment of the spring.

To adjust the balance, it is merely necessary to rremove the pin 20 and turn the plug head 22 with a screw driver or wrench until the proper tension is secured in the spring, and re-insert the pin 20. The tension is readily measured by anchoring the sash balance and attaching the cable loop to the hook on a spring balance, and the adjustment can be carried out until the spring balance indicates the proper pull to suit the particular weight of the sash.

For twin use, the shaft ends are preferably slotted as indicated at 40 to receive the pins 24, thereby facilitating assembly, the stile plates being applied after the adjustments are made. Even if ythe springs are adjusted differently, they can have no effect on the uniform and noncocking operation of the sash.

In. Fig. 4 the entire structure is identical to that Yjust described, except that the sheave 23 is replaced by a pinion 4I, and this pinion meshes with a rack 42 which is imbedded or installed in one of the stops 43 forming the guides for th'e sash; thus the pinion and rack is merely substituted for the sheave and cable.

In Fig. 5, the spring 44 of the clock-spring variety is wound within the sheave 45, this unit displacing the sheave 23, and may be used alone or with several of these drums and springs cumulatively connected in series or in conjimction with the spring 25, spring barrel I and adjuster I9, and stile plate I4.

By making the spring 25 with a suitable number of coils, the tension will remain sufficiently uniform in all adjusted positions of the sash for convenient operation.

It will be understood that variations in construction and arrangement of parts, which variations are consistent with the appended claims, may be resorted to Without detracting from the spirit or scope of the invention, or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

We claim:

1. A sash balance comprising; a spring barrel having a sheave housing associated with one end an adjusting member mounted for rotational adjustment at the other end, and an axial passage formed in said adjusting member; a stile plate mounted on said sheave housing and having a bearing formed in coaxial relation to said axial passage; a shaft supported in said bearing and axial passage; a sheave mounted on said shaft adjacent to said bearing; a spring encompassing said shaft and having its respective ends connected respectively to said adjusting member and to said sheave; means for securing said adjusting member in adjusted position and means for adjusting said member; a cable passage formed through said stile plate and through said housing, and a cable having one end attached to said sheave and passing through said cable passages and its other end arranged for attachment to the side member of a window frame.

2. A sash balance comprising; a spring barrel inwardly flanged at one end and a sheave housing coaxially associated with the other end; an adjusting member rotatably adjustable in said one end and having an axial bore and means for adjusting the member, and means for securing said member against rotation relative to said spring barrel; a stile plate secured to the end of said housing and having a bearing in axial alignment with said bore; a shaft having supports in said bearing and in said bore; a sheave mounted on said shaft within said housing; a spring having its respective ends secured to said adjusting member and to said sheave; a cable passage formed in said housing and through said plate; and a cable attached to said sheave and windable thereon and passing through said cable passages and having means formed at its other end for attachment to a window frame.

3. A sash balance having a shaft and a spring for rotatably urging said shaft; a sheave housing, and a stile plate forming a cover for said sheave housing; a sheave mounted on said shaft within said sheave housing, and a cable having one end secured to said sheave and windable thereon and passing through passages formed -through the peripheral wall of said sheave housing and through said stile plate; said cable extending upwardly between the sash and the window frame in which the sash is mounted and having its other end attached to the window frame.

CLIFFORDl T. CARNES. CHARLES F. SI'EFFES. EDWARD N. WRIGHT. JOI-IN E. COMER. 

